Oh hey.
It's been over a year since I last logged onto my little blogger account and actually typed anything. Since most of you are my friends and I think most of you are on Instagram, you pretty much know all that we've been up to. Had a baby (Connor), bought a house, moved to said house, working on renovating the house, hubby got a new job with crazy hours right now in Harvest season and I'm busy chasing three kiddos around like a crazy person. There's the fast version. If you want a better one, come visit me and I'll offer you something to drink and we can catch up. It's way better than reading it on here anyway.
So why the reason for a real post after a year hiatus? Really I just had something on my heart and was looking for a venue to spill it out. My hand gets crampy when I actually journal so I figured it was easier to type it out on here.
I'm pretty disheartened with our societies (human natures?) tendency to make a debate and battle over ev-er-y-thing. Breast vs. bottle. Stay at home mom vs. working mom. private school vs homeschool vs public school. Cry it out vs co-sleeping. Vaccinations vs delayed schedule vs no vaccines. Republican vs Democrat. It goes on and on and on.
Recently Emma has been growing more and more aware of Halloween. In the past, we simply haven't done anything for this holiday. And because our kids were really little, they didn't no any different. As she gets older, she sees the costumes out in stores and watches tv shows that use this theme. She wants to know what it is and can she dress up like a princess and why is halloween bad and what is a witch and all the millions of questions that a four year old wants to know. All of this has sparked a lot of processing in my own heart and discussions between my husband and I about what is right for our family. As I've been praying through this and weighing it out, I've also read two very well written and insightful blog posts (one in favor and the other not in favor) about celebrating Halloween. I know both of these women wrote them with good intentions. But the more I process, the more I feel really weary from all of the judging and finger pointing and criticism we do to each other.
I firmly firmly firmly believe in seeking the Lord for your own family and following in obedience to what you feel is right for you. And here's the kicker? It may be totally different from your neighbor or your best friend or who ever. Can't that be ok? Because it is for me. If you feel a conviction to not celebrate Halloween and choose to not do trick or treating or paint pumpkins or whatever? great. do it. If you feel like it's ok for your kids to dress up in innocent costumes and go on a hay ride and carve a pumpkin? awesome. If you feel like trick or treat night is a fantastic opportunity to be in your community and making relationships and connecting? do it. If someone elses church wants to have a Trunk or Treat or Harvest Party to get kids off the streets and doing something else? Cheer them on. I'm pretty sure there are bigger issues to get all worked up over. Jesus told us to feed the poor, take care of the orphans, love the widows, stop injustice and go to the ends of the earth to spread the gospel. Like I've been reminding my kids....worry about yourselves and let me (or in this case, the Lord) deal with every one else. I'm not saying it's wrong to have an opinion. I'm just saying let's take a breath and stop trying to convince every one else that your way is THE way. Because I don't know about you but other than those things I listed earlier that Jesus spelled out for me? I'm never too certain that I've got much of anything totally figured out. And even if I do? my way might not be the way for you.
So. there's that. I feel a little better getting it off my chest. For the two people that may have read this, what are your thoughts? Any one else tired of mommy wars, political wars, and debates in general?
